


Flash Fanfiction - Episode 23 - Confession

by Mindmarvel



Series: Flash Fanfic Introducing Mind Marvel [23]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-06
Updated: 2018-03-05
Packaged: 2019-03-27 16:57:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13885140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mindmarvel/pseuds/Mindmarvel
Summary: The final showdown with Eobard Thawne aka the Reverse Flash. He will finally confess to Nora Allen's murder, which will see Henry Allen released from prison. But, after being lied to by Wells... he finds it the perfect opportunity to take out his vengeance on Barry once and for all. Barry and Caitlin declare their love for each other!





	1. Chapter 1

"So, I've done it!" Cisco declared excitedly as he spun on his chair at his computer desk.  
"Done what?" Astrid asked him, on her way towards her office. She stopped behind him and glanced at his computer screen, making him turn back to show her.  
"Mr Ramon is talking about how he has expanded my interface throughout STAR Labs, Miss Sutherland." Gideon's voice carried out throughout the floor of the cortex.  
"So now, no matter what floor we are on… we can consult Gideon on just about any matter." Cisco added.

"Oh my god, that's awesome!" Astrid said, ecstatic.  
"Cisco, that's brilliant!" Caitlin said, approaching them. "Gideon, can you inform me of the progress that is being done on the 12th floor?"  
"Certainly, Doctor Snow. Professor Stein would like you to know that he is currently upgrading the firestorm matrix to reduce the time it takes for he and MR Jackson to merge by one eighth of a nanosecond." Gideon informed her.

As John Constantine stepped off the elevator, he lit up a cigarette.  
"Might I remind you Mr Constantine that smoking is prohibited throughout this entire facility, and not just within the elevators." Gideon said to him, making the group smirk at him.  
"What the hell? Fucking AI! Now, it's following me?" he snapped as he put out the cigarette.  
"She's right, though. There's no smoking within this facility…" Astrid said.

"Should I remind you of the risks that smoking causes on your body, Mr Constantine?" Caitlin suggested.  
John stared at her, "…and I could remind you of the risks of having your body possessed by another entity, love." Caitlin pursed her lips together, the man had her there.  
"Regardless, I'm here with urgent news for Harry… is he…" Constantine asked, as he pointed towards Harry's door.

"Yeah, he's in… go right ahead." Astrid told him, "He's been in there all day… Can you remind him that he has to sit a press conference for me, later on?"  
"Will do, love…" John said as he disappeared into Harry's office, just in time for Barry to arrive.  
It had been three days since the Valentine's day debacle and Astrid and Barry were still not able to look at each other properly. "Yeah… I am going to… never mind!" Astrid said as she darted into her office, almost as fast as the Flash could run, closing the door behind her.

"Still so awkward…" Barry said, uncomfortably, as Caitlin came up and kissed him.  
"Man, the two of you were literally all over each other… it was like something that you know you shouldn't be watching, but yet, you just can't look away…" Cisco said.  
"Right now, I just feel like that guy from that movie Eurotrip…" Barry replied.

"Yeah, I get the scene you're talking about… she's like a sister to you… in an odd… not a sister sort of way…" Cisco finished.  
"Might I suggest, Mr Allen, that a confrontation between you and Miss Sutherland could solve all of your problems?" Gideon added.  
"Wow… you managed to expand her, Cisco! That is so cool!" Barry said, "Yeah, Gideon… we should probably hold a confrontation… but, I'm actually here to speak with DR Wells… is he in?"  
"Yes he is, Mr Allen. But he is currently in the middle of a top secret conversation with Mr Constantine, who continues to break our non-smoking rule, despite my constant reminders." Gideon said.  
"Top secret?" Barry asked. He made his way towards Harry's door and opened it.

"Barry!" Dr Wells said, surprised to see him, as he stood at the doorway, "What can I do for you?"  
"I need to speak with you about Eobard Thawne. Can I come in?" Barry asked.  
"Sure. Come on, in." Harry said, he closed the door behind them.

"Top secret stuff?" Cisco asked.  
"A lot happens when you've spent months in Gotham City." Caitlin said.  
Astrid left her office and joined them again, "Which reminds me Cisco… when are you going back?" she asked him.  
"Were you seriously waiting by your door, just for Barry to leave the room?" he asked her with a grin.

"Yeah… possibly… it's just so awkward… But you didn't answer my question… When are you going back? You've certainly been putting a whole lot of hours into working here again, when you could have breached back at any time."  
"If you guys don't mind…" he began as DR Wells, Barry and Constantine reentered the room, "…I was hoping to come back… I miss you guys, and as cool as Batman is… it gets a little boring…"

"Do my ears deceive me?" Caitlin asked, as she walked up and checked Cisco's temperature. "Has Cisco grown tired of his own hero?" she gasped and grinned, he was waiting for them to answer. More directly, he was waiting for Astrid to answer. All of them were.

"Well… I think that you and I have had a little progress, but…" Astrid said with a serious face. She walked over to him, so he got to his feet to face her. She was teasing him, holding out on her final answer. "…Welcome back, Cisco!" she said happily, as she leant over and hugged him.  
There was an awkward moment between the two of them, so she quickly let go and made her way towards DR Wells and Barry.

"Are you sure about this?" Harry asked her, under his breath.  
"Absolutely… I've missed him. And regardless of everything that has happened between us… he's still my best friend… speaking of awkward moments." She added, looking over at Barry. "You and I need to talk!" she told the speedster. She led Barry to her office.

"Is this going to be a 'seven minutes in heaven' type of talk?" Cisco called out after them, making everyone turn to him. "Okay… too soon for those jokes! Got it!" he replied.  
"It's great to have you back, Cisco!" Caitlin said, giving him a hug.  
"Seven minutes in heaven is a game regularly played by teenagers that involves…" Gideon began.  
"Yeah…There's still a few bugs that I need to work out of the system, so I should get to work on that…" Cisco said taking his seat at the computer again.

Barry and Astrid stood in her office, both awkwardly trying to come up with the right words to break the tension. "So…" Barry said.  
"Yeah…" Astrid stammered. She pulled out the necklace with the letter A attached to it, that Barry had brought her as a Valentine's present. "…I should probably give you this back, so you can trade it in for something nice to get Caitlin." She said handing him the necklace.

Barry took it from her and looked at it. "Ha, it has the letter A on it… like Aphrodite…" he laughed.  
"Don't remind me." Astrid said, "Wow, I wish this wasn't so awkward… but you and I have been friends since we both started up at CCPD, and we both need to move forward from… well… you know…"

Barry stared at the necklace, "I get it… but you're right. We have been friends for ages… so, I'm going to propose that you keep the necklace. As a friend's thing… and as a promise that we won't let all that embarrassing stuff get in between us, ever again. I mean it could have been worse…" he said.  
They both shuddered at the thought of how much worse it could have been. He handed her the necklace back. "So, friends? and never anything more?" Barry asked her.  
"Agreed! Friends… and never ever, ever… anything more…" Astrid said with a smile, taking the necklace from him. They gave each other a hug and quickly parted at realizing how awkward it still felt.

"Yeah, let's not do that again for a while…" Barry said with a laugh, referring to the hug.  
"Right!" Astrid said, she fastened the necklace around her neck. "We should most probably get to work… any progress on the Reverse Flash?" she asked him, as she opened the door leading them back out in to the cortex.

Harry had heard her as she asked about the Reverse Flash. "I actually have some news to tell you about Eobard Thawne…" he said, with a look of satisfaction on his face.  
"What's that?" Barry asked him.  
"We've had a whole lot of progress with him. He's finally willing to confess to Barry's mom's murder!" DR Wells said.  
"That's great!" Caitlin chimed in as she and Cisco joined the group.  
"Yeah, now you will finally be able to get some closure, Barry!" Cisco added.

"...And we should be able to get your father released from prison!" Astrid said.  
"DR Wells has convinced him to confess to Nora Allen's murder under the condition that we help the Reverse Flash travel back to his own time." Gideon chimed in, annoying DR Wells that she had given up this piece of information.

"No! There is no way that we are letting him get away with it! He will pay for his crime!" Barry snapped.  
"Barry, I assure you that I was bluffing, when I offered him that deal." Harry said, "there is no way that I will let him go free."  
"Good. Let's go get this confession then. I'll alert Joe!" Barry replied.  
"I don't mean to change the subject," Astrid said, "But where did Constantine go?" They looked around, he had in fact disappeared.


	2. Chapter 2

Detective Joe West led Eobard Thawne in power-dampening cuffs to the interrogation room, along with Barry. "Barry, I'm going to have to ask for you to remain, outside," Captain Singh said to the speedster, "If this man is making a full confession, it would be in your best interest."  
Barry nodded and stood on the other side of the double sided mirror, looking into the interrogation room. "I hope you don't mind us being here." Caitlin said as she brought Barry a coffee. Astrid, Harry and Cisco had accompanied her.

"I don't mind. I could do with the support right now." Barry replied. They watched as Joe and the new criminal psychologist who had taken over Astrid's role begun questioning Thawne.  
"Oh my god, Barry! I just got the news!" Iris said, as she and Wally entered the room. "Is that really the man who killed your mom?" she stood on the other side of him.  
Barry sipped his coffee and nodded in anticipation, not taking his eyes off the man. Captain Singh turned on the speakers so that they could listen in.

"I, Eobard Thawne hereby confess to the murder of Nora Allen, fifteen years ago on the night of…" Eobard continued to give his confession, as tears of joy began to stream down Barry's cheeks. "He's really doing it!" Barry said.  
"This just seems so easy," Astrid said quietly, to Cisco and DR Wells.

Harry nodded, "but he promised a full confession." He said, with the same quiet tone.  
"Yeah, provided that you get him back to his own time…" Cisco said, "I just get a vibe that this is going to come back on us later." Cisco walked over to Barry and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder in a supportive manner.

But the moment he did, he received a vision. In it, he saw, not Eobard on trial, but Barry. Barry was on the stand for the murder of someone. "I didn't kill him, I swear," Barry cried at the stand, "I did not kill Eobard Thawne."  
"I hereby sentence Barry Allen to prison to serve a life sentence, for the murder of Eobard Thawne." The judge said.  
"Woah, man!" Cisco said as the vision disappeared.  
"What?" they all asked in unison.

Cisco wanted to tell them what he had just seen in his vision, but he remembered that Iris and Wally were in the room with them. So he knew that it could wait until later on. He shook his head, "I just can't believe he's confessing." He said.  
Thawne glanced in Barry's direction as he said how he killed Nora. "Can he see me?" Barry asked Singh.  
"No, he can't… but I think he knows you're there." Captain Singh replied.

Astrid stepped towards Barry, "It's an intimidation tactic, Barry. Don't let him bother you, this is a good day."  
"I'm not bothered," Barry lied.  
"We have his full confession." Captain Singh remarked after they knew that Eobard was finished. "It's an unbelievable one. You're whole 'lightning man' story checks out, Barry… and with meta-humans coming to light… we should be able to lock him away for a very long time, now."  
Barry nodded, but he wasn't entirely convinced. He wouldn't be convinced until his father was no longer behind bars.

Barry watched from a distance as Thawne was led in his cuffs to the holding cells, with a group of officers.  
"We got him, Bar." Joe said, giving Barry a hug.  
"Yeah, it's great." Barry replied, "it just feels so surreal."  
"Yeah… surreal." Cisco agreed, thinking back to the vision that he had experienced.  
"I'm going to meet with him," DR Wells said to Astrid, once the rest of the group had walked Barry out of the room.  
"Who? Thawne?" she asked. "We're not letting him go free!" she said angrily.  
"No, that's not it. Trust me!" Harry said.

Astrid went to join the rest of the group, leaving with them as they went back to STAR Labs, as DR Wells waited around until he was able to be led to speak with Eobard who was being kept in his cell, still with his cuffs on.  
"So, they have my full confession. Now, it's up to you to hold up your end of the bargain." Thawne said.  
"I'm afraid that you'll be waiting for a very long time." Harry said. "Barry has had to wait half his life for your confession. I'm sure that you can wait the other half of yours!"  
"How dare you double cross me!" Thawne yelled as he banged on the bars with his fists, causing the officers to look over at him. "Barry will pay for this, I assure you! Just watch!"

Once the group were all back at STAR labs, along with Joe, Iris and Wally, Astrid broke out the champagne to celebrate.  
"Astrid, don't you think we're celebrating a little prematurely?" Barry asked her.  
"Barry, right now we have a minor victory," Joe said, "I'll take that as a win… But yes, we still have a long way to go, yet. But right now son, let's just enjoy the moment."  
They all clanged their glasses together and smiled, but Cisco just couldn't shake that one vision that he had received earlier.  
He pulled Astrid aside to speak about it.

"Astrid, I may have received a vision earlier. We were watching a murder trial… But, it was for Barry. He was being framed for Eobard Thawne's murder." Cisco said.  
"You're sure?" she asked him, as she took a sip of her champagne and looked over at the rest of the group, to ensure that they weren't being overheard. Cisco nodded.  
"That can't be good." She replied, "We won't tell Barry yet… this is progress, for him. But we will be careful moving forward. Just let me know if you receive any more visions. Whatever happens, everything will be fine… Barry would never kill anyone."

They joined the rest of the group again, just as Harry entered the floor, the man smiled as Joe poured him a glass of champagne, but Astrid could sense his emotions. This was something new for her, she didn't need to read his mind to know that he was hiding something from them. But what was he hiding? She tried to probe his mind, but there was some sort of shield up. This couldn't be good.

As Thawne sat in his prison cell for the rest of the day, he watched the cameras. He listened to the guards and he took notice of the shift changes. But then he saw a guard that he knew... A guard that he had met a few years ago... Breaking out was going to be much easier than he had anticipated.


	3. Chapter 3

Two days later, with the full confession having been made, Henry Allen was released from prison. Joe drove Barry out to pick him up from Iron Heights Penitentiary. He waited in the car as Barry embraced his father for the first time in a long time outside of the prison grounds.  
"Barry… this is just… I just can't explain it." Henry said with tears of joy streaming down his face.  
Barry felt at peace, as he hugged his father. "I know, dad. I'm just so glad that you're out."

"Well, son… I always knew that you would be the one to help me. Let's just go home. I'm anxious to get as far from here as possible!" Henry said.  
Joe spoke to them from the car window. "You're welcome to stay at mine for as long as you want."  
"Thanks Joe. I really appreciate it." Henry replied, as Barry helped him with his bags and they climbed into the car ready for home.

As Astrid, Cisco, Caitlin and Harry bustled around the cortex hanging up balloons, Caitlin pulled out a banner that said 'Welcome home!' up. "Do you think this would be fitting?" she asked the group.  
"I think it's perfect." Astrid said as she helped Caitlin hang it up.

"Miss Sutherland." Gideon said, "There is currently a news report that deserves your full attention!"  
"Oh, no!" Cisco exclaimed as he turned the volume on the television up with the remote.  
The news was declaring a man-hunt for Eobard Thawne who had escaped from prison.

Astrid and Caitlin climbed down from their ladders and the four of them focused on the television, with full interest.  
All of a sudden, the four of them found themselves cuffed to chairs in an old abandoned house. The furniture had all been left behind. Before they could establish what had happened, the Reverse Flash gave them all the answers that they needed, as he was standing in front of them all. Unfortunately, they were all wearing power dampening cuffs.

"I told you, DR Wells, that Barry would pay for your mistakes." He said. "By the time he finds any of you, the police will come to find that his DNA will be all over the place... The place that he grew up in as a child... The place that I killed his mother... and the four of you will no longer be alive to help him out of this mess. It's all rather poetic!"  
"So, you're just repeating your past crime?" Astrid spat. "How stupid do you think CCPD are? They know that you're missing. They know you're a speedster… and they will know that you are just trying to frame him, like you did his father."

"There's a little twist. Miss Sutherland. I have enlisted the help of an associate. You may remember Roy Bivolo. He has offered to do me the favor of sending Barry into a blind rage. But don't worry, he won't affect anybody else. All he has asked for is for me to get him as far from Central City as possible…" The Reverse Flash left them there to comprehend all that he had just said.

"Oh god!" Caitlin said, as she sat on the other side of DR Wells. "This is all your fault, Harry! If only you didn't bribe that man!" DR Wells lowered his face in frustration.  
Astrid looked at Cisco who was sitting to the right of her, "So, your vision may be half right… he isn't going to go down for the death of Thawne, but for all of us."  
"You never mentioned that you received a vision, Cisco." Harry said.  
"Yeah… it was back when Thawne was confessing. Barry was on trial for his murder." Cisco replied.  
"Well, I wouldn't count us out just yet." Harry said.

"Hey, you guys, we're here!" Barry called out, as he Joe and Henry arrived on the floor in the cortex. They saw the decorations hanging and were confused as to where the group had gone.  
"Gideon, do you know where the rest of the guys are?" Barry asked the AI.  
"While I do not know their exact location, Mr Allen, I can tell you that they are not here. It seems that the Reverse Flash has kidnapped them." Gideon replied.  
"Kidnapped?" Henry gasped.

"But, we caught the Reverse Flash, he's in prison... that doesn't make any sense." Barry said.  
"So, it would seem Mr Allen... Eobard Thawne escaped from prison with the help of a guard, he also managed to break out a criminal that you and the team have been up against in the past… Mr Roy G Bivolo… also known as the Rainbow Raider." Gideon said.  
"Are you sure that there isn't some sort of mistake?" Joe asked the AI.

"I wish there was, but…" Gideon stopped speaking mid-sentence for the group to establish why. Both the Reverse Flash and Rainbow Raider were standing by Cisco's computer system. The Rainbow Raider had turned off Gideon's system.  
"Joe, can you get my father out of here, please?" Barry gasped.  
"Right away, son!" Joe said.

"Barry, we're not going to just leave you here!" Henry said.  
"You need to go, dad. And don't look into Roy's eyes!" Barry said as he got his suit and became the Flash in his front of his father.  
"Henry, we need to get you out of here!" Joe said breaking the man out of his trance. Henry had just witnessed his son's biggest secret and he couldn't be any prouder. Nonetheless, he left with Joe.

"Where are my friends?" Barry demanded of the two villains, he avoided eye contact with the Rainbow Raider at all costs.  
"They're safe… for now, Flash." The Reverse Flash told him. "But not for long… and you will go down for their murder!" the yellow speedster ran at Barry knocking him into the wall and held him there, as Rainbow Raider approached them.  
Barry closed his eyes and tried to struggle free from Eobard's hold, but the man was much stronger than he was. "I will not give in! I will not be a killer! I am not you!" Barry said angrily.

"But you will, Barry. You will be locked away for a very long time. You will kill your friends… You will kill your family, you will kill the Rainbow Raider, and after all of that is done… you will kill me. It will destroy you, meaning that, I will have destroyed you."  
These words confused Barry, "Why do you want me to kill you?" he asked the speedster, opening his eyes. He realized at the last minute that it was the worst thing, that he could have done. He saw a glimpse of red in Roy's eyes.

The red gleam sent him into a pure rage. Barry looked back at Thawne, his hatred for this man had overcome him. It gave him unmeasurable strength as he threw the Reverse Flash off of him.  
The yellow speedster fell back to the floor and Barry persisted to punch him at full force and with full speed. "Where are they?! Tell me where they are!" he demanded of the speedster.

"Which answers do you want more?" Eobard teased him. "The answer to where they are being kept? To why I killed your mother or to why I want you to kill me? It's all related, you see!"  
The speedster's mockery only fueled Barry's anger all the more. Barry felt his hand begin to phase, he raised it up over the yellow speedster's chest. His other hand was at his throat. Barry could rip out the heart of his mother's killer at any moment, now.

"Why do you want me to kill you?" Barry asked him, through gritted teeth.  
"That is easy. It doesn't matter who you kill… Becoming a murderer will destroy you. It will kill your very last ounce of humanity. That's why I know that you taking my life will destroy you. I will die knowing that I have fulfilled my purpose in bringing down the Flash." Eobard said through gasps. Barry's grip of his throat was tight. Both of his hands were phasing, at that point.

"Barry! Barry! Don't do it!" Barry could hear Joe's voice from in the background. "I will not let you go down for the murder of this criminal!"  
Barry heard the moment that the detective let loose a bullet from his pistol. Barry turned to Joe, he had purposely aimed away from him, to get Barry's full attention.  
"How could you stop me, Joe?" Barry demanded the answer from him.

Henry stood by the detective. "Don't do this, son. Please… This isn't what your mother would have wanted, Barry. This isn't what i want for you... You can't come back from something like this!" Henry pleaded.  
The Reverse Flash got to his feet and whispered in Barry's ear the location of Barry's friends. "Catch me if you can!" he teased the red speedster.

The Reverse Flash disappeared. Barry lingered for a moment watching Henry and Joe. He was trying to fight the anger, but he could feel himself losing the battle. "I will not let him get away again!" Barry said angrily. With that he left after the speedster.


	4. Chapter 4

Barry followed after the Reverse Flash to a place that he had not been to for a very long time. His childhood home, the building crippled him emotionally. But alas, he had found his friends cuffed and tied to the chairs in the living room.

Cisco, Astrid, Wells and then Caitlin. The woman that he could feel himself growing to love, more and more each day. She reminded him of his mother in so many ways. But she was amazing in her own way. Just him being here, and seeing her in that condition, with her browny-red hair hanging down her shoulders, it brought him back to the night that he had lost his mother.

He couldn't go through it again. "Thawne! Come out!" Barry called to the walls. "Where are you! Let's end this!"  
"Barry…" Caitlin gasped as she realized that he was fueled by the anger of the Rainbow Raider. "You need to free us, please!" she pleaded.  
"I can't do that yet, Caitlin!" Barry said as he continued to look for the Reverse Flash.

"Sure you can, Barry. Just do it quickly!" Cisco said, "it's the only way that you work… fast!"  
"Shut up, Cisco!" Barry snapped at him. Cisco felt he had been emotionally slapped by his friend.  
"Barry! Don't speak to him like that!" Astrid snapped.

Barry's anger was directed at the girl, this time. "…And you quit bossing me around!" he snapped, his face was inches from her own. They could see the red in his eyes, but while Cisco and Caitlin chose not to challenge him any further, Wells chose to observe what was going on, and Astrid decided to challenge the red speedster.  
"I get that you're mad, Barry. But you will not kill Thawne… and you will not kill us. Look at Caitlin, she loves you. You don't want to do that. You don't want to hurt us and you know that you don't. You just need to fight it, Barry. We will not let him take away the last of your humanity. That's what he's trying to do. He's trying to beat you, emotionally. You were there, the moment that I pulled the trigger on that thing that took over my father's body. That thing was killing him from the inside out. My father begged me to end his life, and while it was the only option that I had left… it changed me. I don't want to see it change you, Barry. You remember this place. This is where you lost your mother that night. 

You will not lose yourself here, too." She could see that her words were affecting him. It was beginning to work, but then the voice of the Reverse Flash spoke out over them.  
"Those are just words, pretty girl." Eobard said. "There is nothing further that you can do." He walked up to Caitlin and ran her hair through his fingers. "She looks so much like Nora, Barry. Have you noticed this? If I killed her… It would be like killing your mother all over again!"  
Caitlin shook her head to get her hair out of his fingers and she spat at his face.

"Leave her alone!" Barry snapped as he moved himself between them. As he did, he pushed the yellow speedster onto the floor and begun attacking him like a wild animal. His friends continued to call out to him to stop, fearing that he would kill the yellow speedster at any moment.  
"Barry, please! You need to stop!" Caitlin cried out. "Please Barry. You can't do this! Astrid's right, I do love you. You can't let the anger takeover you! I know it's hard but you need to stop! Please!"

Barry managed to pull himself from the man. He looked at Caitlin, he had heard her words as clear as day. He was having trouble trying to fight the anger. "Caitlin… it's just so hard. I can't fight it! I need help! Please!" Caitlin was not anticipating that her words would have had this effect on him. "Barry. Go to STAR labs. Find the rainbow program that we made."

Barry heeded her words, just as the Reverse Flash made his escape. "I'll meet you back at STAR Labs, Barry." Thawne said as he disappeared again. He was going to destroy the program.  
"He's going to destroy it, I'll come back for the lot of you!" Barry promised.

"Run Barry, Run!" Caitlin called out. The four of them were holding onto hope that Barry would succeed.  
Barry found the Rainbow Raider ransacking STAR labs looking, for the program, with the speed of the speedster Thawne himself.  
Crumbled on the floor was the body of the Reverse Flash. He was dead.  
"Confused, Barry?" Bivolo asked him.

Barry realized that Thawne had managed to find the tool that had helped him change his appearance in the past. Eobard had taken the form of Roy and was going to frame Barry for his death. They already had witnesses who had seen Barry threatening the speedster.

The anger still coursed through Barry's veins and he remembered where Astrid's tablet was hidden. The program would be on there. While Thawne was distracted by Cisco's computer, Barry slipped out to find the tablet. He viewed the Rainbow project and felt himself regain his own mind again. When he reentered the cortex, Thawne had disappeared.  
Captain Singh and a few other officers were there. They saw the body of the Reverse Flash lying on the floor. Barry couldn't let them see him as the Flash. He swept past them, changing back into his own clothes, which he hadn't realized until now, had been covered in the blood of Thawne from earlier.  
He stepped out from one of the offices and raised his hands up over his head.

"Barry…" Captain Singh said as sorrow fell across his face, "You're under arrest for the murder of Eobard Thawne. You have the right to remain silent…"  
"I understand Captain Singh… I'll go quietly… But, I need you to help my friends…" Barry said as he allowed the officers to slip him into cuffs and lead him to the station.


	5. Chapter 5

Barry was led to CCPD for questioning, where Joe and Henry pleaded with Cecille, the District Attorney to fight his case. "Joe, you have to understand, the two of you saw Barry fighting him, his blood is on his clothes…" She said.  
"But there's more to it!" Henry said, "Barry is being framed, just as I was,"

"I wish that were the case, Henry. I do," Cecille said, "but the man who framed you is dead. Roy is missing and Barry is the only one left standing. You know how all of this looks. There's nothing further that I can do."  
"Did they happen to find the others," Joe asked her. "Did they find Astrid, Caitlin Cisco and Harry?"  
"They did." Cecille replied. "He had brought them to Barry's old home, where it all began."  
"To… where he framed me for Nora's death?" Henry asked, sadly. Cecille nodded.

"Don't you see?" Joe pleaded, "He broke Roy out of prison to fuel Barry's rage, Barry fought him to protect his friends and himself! So even if Barry did do what they are saying… I'm not saying that he did, he did it in self-defense, or he could plead temporary insanity!"  
"I'm sorry, Joe. That's for the courts to decide. Not me… I wish there was more that I could do, … But I promise you that I will do whatever I can to help him… I'm just afraid that it might not be enough. They're even bringing a CSI from STAR City to analyze the DNA." Cecille said sadly.

Suddenly Singh approached the three of them. "Joe, I understand that this must be hard for you… the both of you…" he added looking at Henry. "But you both understand the protocol. I won't be able to have you in on this case. You can take the afternoon off..."  
The two men nodded, "Singh…" Henry began, "That's my son in there. I was only released from prison for being accused for a crime that I didn't commit a few hours ago… Barry is not a killer. You must know this."

"That's what I thought to." Captain Singh agreed, "I promise that I will do all that I can to help… But I need to know, is there any information that the two of you can offer that might help in his case?"  
Joe and Henry both wanted to reveal that Barry was the Flash, but they knew that it wasn't for them to reveal those details. They shook their heads sadly. "Can we just go in and see him?" Joe asked.

"I'll allow it. But it will have to be supervised." Singh replied.  
As Astrid, DR Wells, Caitlin and Cisco arrived at CCPD, they were all clueless as to what had happened. The officers hadn't told them anything, but they had been questioned endlessly as to what had happened when they had been kidnapped. Astrid was furious that they had ordered the temporary shutdown of STAR Labs, while investigations were being carried out.

Astrid found Captain Singh hurrying to his office. "Captain Singh!" She called out as she reached him, "what is going on? Is Barry okay?" she asked.  
Singh stared at her for a long time, he wasn't going to tell her anything. "Look, Astrid. I need to go, I have work to do!" he told her, brushing her off.  
Astrid read his mind and the answers almost crippled her, as Singh disappeared into his office. She walked in shock, back to her friends and sat down next to them in silence. She was speechless in regards to the news that she had just uncovered.

"Astrid, Astrid. Are you okay?" Cisco asked her, noticing her unusual quiet state. She stared at him with a blank look on her face. He, Harry and Caitlin all stared at her waiting for her to speak.  
"Astrid… Is Barry okay?" Caitlin asked her, concerned for Barry's welfare. "Why aren't they letting us see him or go back to work?"  
Astrid took a breath and continued to stare blankly. "Barry has been arrested for the murder of Eobard Thawne." She said under her breath.

Caitlin's face fell. "No… Barry wouldn't kill anyone. Even with his rage… we were reaching through to him… I know that we were. He wouldn't Astrid. You have to know that." Caitlin began to cry, so Cisco comforted her.  
"I do know that, Caitlin. It just seems so impossible. I need to speak with him. I need to find out what really happened." Astrid said, she went to find someone that would allow her to speak with Barry.

DR Wells at this point seemed very frustrated. "No, this isn't right. Look, Ramon… Can you stay here? Keep watch for me… I have to go take care of a few things."  
Cisco was confused as to what he meant, but now was not the time for him to ask questions. "Okay, do what you need to do." He agreed, as DR Wells disappeared out of sight.


	6. Chapter 6

"I need your help!" DR Wells cried out into the silence of the alleyway surrounding him. "I know that you're there. That you've been watching us… That you've been waiting for the moment to get yourself involved."  
"I can't help you. Not here, not now!" the voice echoed back.  
Harry turned around to see the blue and gold hero standing by the building.

"You won't win any father of the year awards, Kent. Not with that attitude." Harry replied.  
"I gave up that right when I gave her up for adoption a long time ago. This is not my place, and I would prefer if you kept me out of it. They will find their own way to free the speedster. It's in their fate." Kent said as he removed his helmet. There was a striking resemblance between he and Astrid. There was no doubt that he was her father.

"You're useless. They sent me here to guide them. Yet, I am doing more for them than you are!" Harry spat. "Just do one thing for me. Just tell me where he is!"  
"I know what you have planned. But I cannot stop you, nor can I help you. You are on your own, World Walker, though I wish you luck!" Kent Nelson disappeared before Harry's very eyes. So Harry left to find the Reverse Flash. He was going to put an end to his life once and for all! This time, it would not come back on Barry, or the rest of his friends.  
"Captain Singh. Can you at least let us speak with him?" Astrid begged the captain to let she and her friends into see Barry.  
"Astrid, he's been arrested for murder… You know how these things go. I can't just let everyone in." Singh replied.

"Please? Singh. When have I ever really asked anything of you? You know in your heart that Barry didn't do this… and I intend to find out what really happened." She pleaded.  
"Okay, go through…" he said, he allowed an officer to lead she, Caitlin and Cisco in to see Barry. He was sitting in cuffs at a table and was relieved to see all of them, but the officers remained.

Caitlin went to hug Barry, but the officer pulled her away, so Astrid held her hand as they sat down. "What happened, Barry?" Astrid asked him. "We know you didn't do it, you clearly freed yourself from the rage… so, what happened?"  
Barry told the three of them everything, up until the moment that he walked out with his blood stained clothes.  
"This would have been so much easier if you had have stayed in your Flash suit." Cisco sighed.  
"This is not the time for jokes, Cisco." Caitlin replied.

"We need to find him… Did he give any indication of where he might have gone?" Astrid asked, as she tried to form a plan.  
Barry shook his head, "no… he just disappeared."  
"Well, we need to find him… But even then… even if we find him, I think it might be time for us to come clean about who you really are…" she said.  
"No, Astrid, we can't tell anyone who I really am." Barry pleaded. They were approached by the officers who were ready to lead him back to his holding cell. As he stood up, he called to Caitlin. "Caitlin I remember what you said… I want you to know, that I love you too." Barry said as he was lead out of the room, and Caitlin crumbled into Astrid's arms.

As Astrid, Cisco and Caitlin left the room they were met by Joe and Henry.  
"We need to come up with some sort of plan to get him out of this mess! Come on, we'll go back to my place, considering STAR Labs is out of the question." Astrid said.  
"I agree that we need to get him out of here, but we have to do it all by the books." Joe replied. "Where did DR Wells go?"  
"He said that he needed to take care of a few things…" Cisco said.  
"What things?" Caitlin asked him.

"I didn't think to ask… We had more important things to deal with." he replied.  
With the help of a small device, Harry managed to transport himself to an abandoned warehouse on the other side of town where he was sure that Thawne would be. He found him in the body of Roy Bivolo, as he had anticipated.

"So, have you decided to deliver on your promise after all?" Thawne asked him.  
"No… I've come to make you wish that you had never messed with Barry Allen in the first place." Harry said.  
"I'm much faster than you. You know that." Eobard said.

"But you also forgot that we kept you at STAR Labs, and while you may have changed your appearance to look like Roy Bivolo… I still managed to implant a chip inside of you while you were sleeping. All I need to do is say two words and it will cause you to suffer from a heart attack that would kill a speedster." Harry said.  
"You're bluffing." Thawne replied.

"You know who I am. You know where I've been… Do you really think that I would bluff about something like this?" Harry said.  
Eobard stared at his unwavering face. "So what do you want me to do?" he asked him, knowing that Harry was speaking the truth.  
"I want you to die, Thawne, for every time that you have crossed Barry Allen, on all of those other earths, for every time you have so much as looked in his direction, for every time that you have killed me and taken over my body, for every time you have killed my wife or ever threatened anyone that I have loved, for even that time that you killed Cisco Ramon… I know that it wasn't you personally, but it was still you just the same. I want you to die for your actions… and I am tired of seeing your face… So… this is me saying goodbye for good." DR Wells said the name that was key to killing the man, he spoke the words so softly but it still had the same effect. "Tess Morgan." Even though Thawne had never killed his wife in this timeline, she had still died. Her death still haunted him.

The moment he said it, the speedster's heart gave out, he was suffering a heart attack. Something fell out of his pocket, which Harry retrieved. Roy's body turned back into the body of Eobard Thawne. As Harry walked away, he knew that this would be the last time that Barry of this world would ever have to see his mother's killer ever again. At least he could find some solace in that.

He called Astrid to find out where they were, they were at her home. And after she gave him the address, he made his way over there.  
"You guys… they found Thawne's body!" Cisco exclaimed as his eyes were on the news that played in the oversized television in the living room.  
"Thawne's body?" Astrid asked as they all diverted their gaze to the news report.  
"Yeah, they're saying he died from a heart attack!"

"So that means that Thawne must have switched his identity with Roy before he killed him!" Joe exclaimed.  
"There's no way around any of this! We need Barry to come clean. Singh will be able to help him, if he knows that we're telling him the whole truth!" Astrid said.  
"But, Barry's in prison." Henry said, "Most of those criminals in there were put away by the Flash… They will kill him if it doesn't work out."  
"But if this is our only chance to get Barry out of there, we need to at least try!" Caitlin said.

As the group were discussing strategy, Harry pulled Cisco away from the group. "Ramon, I need to give you something, but I need you to not ask any questions about how I obtained it!" he said.  
"Okay, what is it?" Cisco asked.  
"No questions… remember?" Harry said.  
"Oops, sorry… Sure… no questions!" Cisco said.  
Harry handed him the small gadget that Eobard had used to change his physical image to look like Roy.  
"How did you…" Cisco began.

"Uh uh!" Harry said as he brought his finger to his lips to silence him.  
Cisco studied the object. "I find it interesting how the man just died from a heart attack and you ended up with this." Cisco said.  
"Let's just say, at least he will no longer be a problem." Harry said.  
An eerie feeling crossed over Cisco, but he ignored it. Harry was right… at least the Reverse Flash would no longer be a 'Thawne in their side'.


	7. Chapter 7

Astrid returned with Joe to speak with Barry in his holding cell at CCPD. He was still being held for questioning and after the new information that had since been brought to light, the officers were having a hard time trying to understand exactly what had happened.

Astrid looked at Barry through the bars. "You shouldn't be in here Barry. We need to tell Singh who you are. He will be able to help us, I know it!"  
"No, Astrid. That will mean giving up my secret. If these criminals in here find out who I am, they will stop at nothing to come after me. You know that!" Barry pleaded with her. "Joe, you need to talk some sense in to her."

Joe remained quiet, he actually agreed with Astrid over this, he felt that it was their only chance.  
"Barry, I can't just let you rot in here." Astrid argued, "We both know how this works. You're in here for a murder that you didn't commit, you only just got your father out of prison, for the exact same thing… I will not let that stand! At least if we come clean, we can explain everything to them. We can make them see!"

"Astrid, I know what you're thinking… I'm begging you not to do it! Please, don't!" Barry pleaded. Astrid shook her head sadly. She felt defeated, like she had failed him, but at the same time she knew that it was their only shot.  
"Barry. Look, we're going to try and find another way!" Joe said, "But if we can't, you need to understand that we will do anything to get you out of here… even if it means telling Captain Singh who you really are."

"No, Joe… not you too." Barry said sadly, annoyed that he was siding against him.  
"Barry. We're going to do whatever it takes to get you out of here… I promise you!" Astrid said. She and Joe left the room to find Cecille Horton.  
"This feels like the whole Henry Allen case all over again!" Joe sighed.

"I can imagine!" Astrid said, "I just wish that he would let us tell Singh! Things would be so much easier."  
"Yeah, but he and Henry are right. Those criminals have it in for The Flash. What happens if we told Barry's secret and we still couldn't get him out of prison, and some of the inmates found out who he was?" Joe asked.

"Yeah, I get that… but, I'm not suggesting that we declare it to Central City… Just that we tell Captain Singh and whoever else is in charge of these decisions. We could then consider looking for alternative clues… Like where's that thing that helped Thawne disguise himself as Roy?" Astrid said.  
"Do you realize that you're beginning to sound like an officer?" Joe commented.

"Sometimes I miss my old job as a criminal psychologist, But i don't think that i could ever go back to it, Especially while we're in the middle of getting Barry out of this mess. Besides, my dad always wanted me to take over STAR Labs. I don't want to let him down."  
"You could never let him down. Your father would be proud!" Joe said.

"Okay, can we drop the whole sentiment? There's your girlfriend… I mean, the DA!" Astrid laughed.  
Joe and Astrid sat with Cecille in her office and told them everything that they knew that they could share, leaving out the fact that Barry was the Flash, but they knew that without a full story... she could not help them. The questioned that plagued her was has how could Barry bring down a meta-human? there had to be more to it.  
Back at Astrid's house, Cisco and Harry tried to come up with alternative plans that might help Barry's case, while Caitlin explained to Henry just how Barry's physical self, had been altered since the meteor shower.

"That's very fascinating, Caitlin!" Henry said, as he was trying to wrap his head around the whole process. "There's no question as to what my son sees in you. Nora would have loved you."  
Caitlin blushed, "Thawne said something about me looking like Nora, I never really saw the similarities."  
"They're subtle, but they're there." Henry agreed.  
The two of them were interrupted by Harry and Cisco's attempt at a plan. "We need to get hold of STAR Labs security footage!" Harry said out loud. "That will show that Barry is innocent."

"The police would have gone through the footage by now." Caitlin said. "We would know, by now if they had found something."  
"Yeah, but I'm guessing that Thawne would have tampered with it. It would make sense…" Cisco said, "But if I can get into the cortex, pull up a backup file, or even get Gideon's help… then maybe I can find out what really happened."

"Back when Joe and I saw Barry fighting with Thawne, they shut Gideon down." Henry replied, "Who's to say that Thawne hasn't already done something to her that would make it impossible to retrieve?"  
"Well, that's a risk that I'm willing to take to find out!" Cisco said as he raised his hand up to form a breach.  
"Cisco, we can't go over there. It's a crime scene!" Caitlin warned him.

"It's either that or we just let Barry sit in prison. Besides, I'm not asking you to come with me, Wells and I can be in and out and no one will ever know!" he said with a smile.  
Caitlin shook her head slowly, "Just don't get caught, Cisco. Or Astrid will flip!"


	8. Chapter 8

Cisco breached both he and Harry over to STAR Labs, which to their luck, was currently empty. Cisco ran over to his computer and brought up the security cameras, while DR Wells went to his office and closed the door behind him.  
Harry found his tablet still sitting on the desk and video called Harrison, to provide him with an update.  
"You're late, World Walker." Harrison replied.

"I understand, but Barry Allen is being accused of murder and Eobard Thawne is dead!" Harry replied, "We're doing everything that we can to get Barry out of prison."  
"So the Reverse Flash is dead?" Harrison asked him.  
"Yes, but not by Barry's hands. Barry is innocent. Is there any assistance that you can offer us?" Harry asked.

"I wish that I could, but I just can't. But I wish you luck. Do you have any word on that other matter?"  
"I do. Kent Nelson is on this earth, though he refuses to get involved. He confirmed that he is in fact, Astrid's father." As Harry said this, Cisco knocked on the door.  
Harrison heard the intrusion and said quickly, "Keep watch over them, and inform me if anything changes." He ended the call quickly, as Cisco stepped into Harry's office.

"Who were you talking to?" Cisco asked.  
"Myself." Harry said, "Just myself."  
Cisco raised his eyebrows, "Okay… I have some bad news… the entire footage has been wiped, including the backups and the backups of the backups… but I managed to salvage Gideon. They almost destroyed her." They heard the ding of the elevator. The officers were on their way back up.  
"We should go!" Harry said. Cisco breached them back to Astrid's house to inform the others of the news.

Once they had returned, they found that Joe and Astrid had also arrived. Once they had explained where they had just been, Astrid barely flinched. She seemed as if she were giving up. Even Cecille had proven to be of no real help.  
"I'm sorry you guys. There's nothing more that we can," Joe said sadly.  
"No!" Astrid snapped. "None of this is good enough! We should be doing everything that we can to get him the hell out of there! He shouldn't be in there! I'm not going to just stand around and admit defeat!"

The group looked at her. "You have an idea, Astrid?" Caitlin asked her.  
"Yeah, I do!" she said. "Caitlin, I need you Joe, and Henry to go see Barry. Tell him, I don't care if he hates me after this… but I'm not just going to stand by and watch him take the fall. Cisco, I need you to breach me over to CCPD… in the very middle of it!"  
"Girl, are you crazy? You know that will cause a big scene!" he said.  
"And right now, a big scene is exactly what we want!" she said with determination.

Cisco breached he and Astrid, as she requested, right into the very middle of CCPD. They scared a few officers in the process and caused a very large scene in the process.  
"Miss Sutherland!" Captain Singh gasped, "What are you… how did you…" he shook his head trying to decipher how she and Mr Ramon had just done, what the entire CCPD had just seen them do.

"Captain Singh. Can we go to your office?" Astrid asked him nervously.  
"That's right, the man can breach…" Cisco said to the officers around them, "…but don't worry… I'm one of the good guys!"  
Captain Singh led the two of them, to his office and closed the door behind them. Astrid and Cisco took their seats while Captain Singh continued pacing around his office.  
"Explain to me what we just saw out there…" he said as he finally sat down in his chair.

Astrid was nervous, this was the first time that she had been this nervous in a long time, she was speechless. Cisco took her hand in his and smiled at her, as if to say, 'you can do this.' She nodded and looked back at Captain Singh.  
"What you just saw in there was a breach." Astrid said to the captain.  
"A breach?" Captain Singh asked her.

"Yes. Cisco here can breach across town whenever he chooses to… In fact, he can even breach to alternate worlds if he wants too." Astrid explained.  
"Alternate worlds? Astrid… this is a lot to take in… to believe…" Singh said.  
"I get that… But then again, everything since the meteor shower has been a lot to take in. We have meta-human criminals, telepathic apes. Did you know… there are even aliens?" Astrid asked him.

"Miss Sutherland, your father was a scientist. You are a very rational and logical woman… You don't expect me to believe any of this. That 'breach' out there must have been some invention created by your mechanical engineer friend there… Besides, why are you telling me any of this? What does this have to do with Barry?" Captain Singh asked.  
"I knew that you would react this way, which is why I need to ask you something." Astrid let go of Cisco's hand and leant closer towards Captain Singh. "What if I could tell you that there was an explanation for every time that Barry has shown up late to work?" she asked him, with a smile.  
"I would tell you to enlighten me." Singh said.

"For me to do that… Captain Singh, I need to make you believe." Astrid said. She took a hold of Captain Singh's hand that was resting on the desk. He tried to move his hand away, but she said, "I need you to trust me!"  
"Okay… I trust you… but, I don't see how you holding my hand has anything to do with Barry being accused of murder."  
"Trust me, man." Cisco added, "It's more relevant than you might think!"

Singh nodded and so Astrid began transferring her own memories into Captain Singh's mind. These images were of she and Barry in the elevator during the time of the meteor shower, Barry in his coma, Barry awake from his coma and learning that he had powers, Barry using his powers and then finally Barry in his red suit as the Flash.  
Captain Singh jumped up from his chair, removing his hand from Astrid's clasp. "What… What was that? How did you?" he stammered.

"Captain Singh… Those images that you just saw…they were my memories, I was able to transfer them to your mind, as I too was effected by the radiation from the meteor shower. I can read and control thoughts and a whole lot more too, in fact…"  
"So, what? You're like that telepathic ape that you lot keep down in STAR labs for security reasons?" Singh asked her.  
"Similar… but I choose to use my gifts to help people… just like the Flash." Astrid said. Which brought Captain Singh's mind onto the Flash himself, "…and Barry… If what I just saw is correct, is the Flash."

"Mm, hmm!" Astrid nodded with a smile.  
"But that only explains how Barry committed the murder, that he used his powers to…" Singh said, "well, it doesn't prove his innocence."  
"No, but this does." Cisco said handing the captain a small instrument used for altering one's entire body to look like another person. "Eobard Thawne killed Roy Bivolo and framed Barry for his murder. You know that Thawne was a speedster. He planted this on him so that he could escape free of all charges. We can also consult the STAR labs AI for a full description of events of the time that Barry was there... She is programmed to only ever speak the truth, and she can give a full explanation of what has happened." Cisco said.  
"Okay… then, this is… everything… everything that we need to know to declare Barry's innocence." Singh said getting to his feet, excitedly, "I'm going to help the Flash!"  
Astrid and Cisco both followed his lead, "Yes!" Astrid exclaimed. Her plan had worked!


	9. Chapter 9

The next day, Captain Singh was able to end the investigation and free Barry with sufficient evidence. The group made their way over to STAR Labs, where the 'Welcome Home' Banner still hung proudly across the cortex.

When Joe finally brought Barry in, the group cheered and Astrid opened another bottle of champagne pouring glasses for all of them.  
"It's great to have you back, son." Henry said.  
"Likewise!" Barry replied, "But Singh never said why he was dropping the charges… What happened? And what did the three of you mean by I would hate Astrid for what she was going to do?"

The group went silent, "You didn't tell him?" Astrid asked them.  
"You told Singh, didn't you?" Barry asked her.  
"Look, can we talk about this later?" she asked him, "Let's just celebrate the fact that Eobard is no longer a problem, neither is Roy and you are free from all charges! Plus, your father is also out of prison. We can all move on with our lives now and onto the next chapter."

"She's right, son." Henry added, "and I must say that I approve of you and Caitlin. She is a real delight, she has spent the entire time explaining how your powers work… and I'm also surprised that you never told me, that she had stolen your heart."  
"I'm sorry, dad." Barry said with a smile.

"So, I have to wonder, what's going to happen now, that the both of you can start anew?" Caitlin asked Henry.  
Henry looked away awkwardly which had them all wondering what he really did have planned.  
"Dad, what's going on?" Barry asked him.

"I didn't want to say this earlier, but Joe took me to our old house. It made me realize that I can't go backwards. I want to leave Central City, if only for a little while." Henry replied.  
"Ouch!" Cisco said under his breath.  
"Henry, you're always more than welcome to come and work for us. You're not necessarily going backwards..." Astrid said, "We're always looking for brilliant minds."  
"Well, then… I suppose we should make the most of the time we have together." Barry said, cutting her off, he was still mad at her. "Astrid… Can we speak in your office for a moment?" he asked her.

"Will this be an example of 'seven minutes in heaven'?" Gideon asked, it was her attempt at a joke.  
"No!" Everyone snapped, as Astrid followed Barry into her office, they closed the door behind them.

Barry and Astrid could be heard yelling inside of the office, by the entire group.  
"Astrid, you had no right to tell him!" Barry snapped at her.

"Is this the thanks that I get for helping you? I can't believe this! I literally saved your ass! Just because it wasn't the way you would have gone about it!" Astrid snapped back.  
"You want to know something? You're just like Oliver! You don't think you are, but you both think that you can just step all over people and do whatever you want. Neither one of you cares about who you cross! You're ruthless!"

"Low blow, Barry! If it weren't for the way I did things, you would still be in prison awaiting trial… A trial for a crime that you didn't commit! But at least, now you have the opportunity to spend time with the one man, that you have been dreaming of having a proper relationship with, your entire life! Your father… Something that I would give anything for. All I did was tell Captain Singh who you really are! So now, we actually have the man on our side, and do you want to know something? If I had to do it again? I would… So yeah, maybe I am ruthless… but at least I am willing to do whatever it takes to protect my friends… Now, go! Get the hell out of my office, and spend some fucking time with your father… because at least you can!"

Barry glared at Astrid, "Yeah, I will. But I won't forgive you for this, Astrid. You betrayed my trust… and I can't let that slide so easily." Barry stormed out of her office, bypassing Cisco on the way.

"You swore?" Cisco said, shocked by her words to the speedster, "You never swear in arguments, I should know…"  
"I guess Constantine rubbed off on me a little bit." She replied, under her breath.  
"You know he might be a little right… you are a little like Oliver."  
"Cisco… please, if you came in here to insult me…"

"No, I didn't… I came in here to tell you that I think that you did the right thing. Even if it was a little… extreme? You gave up Barry's secret when he begged you not to… but you did it to give him time with his father… You're passionate, you're determined… you're just a little ruthless…"  
"Just a little?" she asked him with a smile.

"Okay, maybe a lot…" Cisco said with a grin, "…but you're always willing to ensure that justice wins out. It's one of the things that I love about you."  
Astrid had just realized how close he was standing to her, his words threw her off a little, but she was glad to hear them. The tension between them was thick, but she knew how to end it. This time, she kissed him and she was relieved when he kissed her back.


	10. Chapter 10

As Barry entered the cortex, Caitlin came up and gave him a hug. "don't be mad at her, she just did what she felt was right." She said to him.  
"I know… but she went against my wishes… The more people who know my secret, the more…" Barry began.  
"…The more that they risk your safety… I understand, but she didn't only reveal your secrets… She revealed both hers and Cisco's too. Captain Singh knows that she can read minds now, and he knows that Cisco can breach."

"Ok, I get it… I'll consider what you've said. But you and I need to talk about what we both said to each other…" Barry said.  
"Barry, I meant what I said. I really do love you…" Caitlin replied. "It wasn't just something to get you to calm down."  
"Good, because I meant it too. You have become one of the most important people in my life. I want you to know that!" Barry kissed her and then remembered someone that he needed to speak with. DR Harry Wells. "Can you give me a moment?" he asked her. She agreed to his request.

It was because of this man that Thawne had taken revenge on them all. Barry stormed into the man's office to find him speaking with someone.  
"Barry, you shouldn't be in here!" DR Wells told him.  
"No, let Barry stay." The stranger said, "This involves him too."

"What are you talking about?" Barry asked him.  
"Barry Allen. My name is Kent Nelson. You may not recognize me, but we met in the alternate timeline. You are the reason that my daughter is alive." The man said.  
"Kent Nelson? Wait! Who are you? Who's your daughter?" Barry asked him, trying to figure everything out.  
Kent picked up something golden and round from Harry's desk… the golden helmet, "I am DR Fate… and Astrid Sutherland is my biological daughter."


End file.
